Sunday, April 3, 2016

As the weather was warm enough to work in the garage, and in preparation for the new riding season, I decided to mount The Touratech tank bag received at Christmas. Here are some photos showing the installation:

1

A velcro flap is installed using two existing bolts that hold the plastic tank trim onto the bike. That white disc is really a velcro disc. Remove the white paper and ...

2

Stick the disk on to hold the lower part of the tank bag in place.

3

The flap at the upper left in the photo has velcro that will stick to the item above. Note the smooth and shiny bottom of the tank bag which is mildly sticky and will not slide around on the plastic. Should reduce scratches. I may use some of that sticky rubber mesh for lining shelves between the bag and the plastic. I did this with the old Triumph with good results.

Still, I do wish BMW had retained the old quick release rails and solid tank bag bottom. It was expensive but an elegant solution.

4

Side view. Also, like the strap at the rear of the tank, there is a triangular pad in front of the gas fill flange. The pad has a strap around the steering head, and another of those white disc things to stick it down. You can just see the quick-release buckle at the front of the tank bag. The bag can either be tipped back or completely detached quite quickly.

5

The other side. It has been designed to fit the shape of the RT's tank.

6

Like most bags, there is a zipper that allows the bag to rise in height for more volume. This is a relatively small bag, so the extra room will be welcome at times.

Note there are elastic strings at the rear of the bag, which in this case are being used to secure my gloves. Can't think of what else they might be used for, seem to do that job well. This will be handy at gas stops and prevent me from dropping the gloves on the ground, then banging my helmet on the bike when bending over to retrieve them. Yes, I know... .

7

The place where most bags have room for a map is likely designed for a cell phone. Mine won't live there as it gets too hot under the plastic.

8

If I do have need for a map, this extra large detachable map holder will do the job quite well. It will live in one of the side cases or the top box.

9

Roadcrafter sells a lot of accessories. This pressure gauge is temperature and altitude compensated, and speaks the tire pressure to you. While this sounds like a gimmick, it does allow you to concentrate on seating the fill valve into to gauge mouth so as to lose a minimum of air.

And, here are some photos of the stepladder that I am throwing out and replacing:

1

2

3

4

An even older stepladder that stil is ok.

5

And, the replacement stepladder that feels much more stable and is listed for 300 lb. loads.

The structural failure occurred when I was putting some Christmas decorations up on the raised shelf in the garage, and yes, I was on the ladder at the time. Ended up on my back with the ladder on top of me. Fortunately, no damage aside from a bruise and some scratches just above the left ankle.

It's cold and lightly snowing today, so I am playing inside... .

And, just an update, today is Monday and I had to shovel snow today, maybe more days this week. And it's April already, Riding season supposedly.